Bengaluru police have arrested 22 suspects in a cybercrime gang that defrauded over 150 US and UK citizens via fake Microsoft support scams, extorting around $10,000 per victim. Three kingpins remain at large.
In a major crackdown, Bengaluru police have dismantled a transnational cybercrime syndicate that defrauded American and UK citizens through a sophisticated Microsoft support scam. The gang, operating from the city’s Whitefield area, impersonated Microsoft technical support staff, falsely citing Federal Trade Commission (FTC) violations to coerce victims into transferring funds via Bitcoin. The operation, which has been ongoing since 2022, targeted at least 150 individuals, extracting an average of $10,000 per victim. Police have arrested 22 suspects so far, while three key masterminds remain at large.
Raids Lead to Multiple Arrests
Acting on a credible tip-off, Cyber Command’s special cell and the Whitefield cybercrime police conducted a two-day raid at Musk Communications, located on the sixth floor of the Delta Building in Sigma Soft Tech Park, Whitefield Main Road, on 14 and 15 November. During the operation, authorities seized computers, laptops, mobile phones, hard drives, and other digital devices crucial to the scam.
A total of 21 staff members were arrested during the raid, including a youth named Ravi Chauhan from Ahmedabad, who was responsible for recruiting the company’s technical workforce. With Chauhan’s arrest, the number of apprehended individuals now stands at 22, while three main conspirators remain unidentified.
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Modus Operandi: How Victims Were Targeted
Investigations revealed that Musk Communications rented a 4,500-square-foot office space in Whitefield in August, paying a monthly rent of Rs 5 lakh. The gang deployed targeted Facebook advertisements designed to appear as legitimate security alerts or service notifications for US users. When victims clicked on these ads, malicious code would freeze their computers, prompting a pop-up claiming to be from Microsoft global technical support, complete with a fake helpline number.
Once the victims contacted the number, the scammers, posing as Microsoft technicians, claimed that the user’s system was compromised, their IP address hacked, and banking data at risk. Using the fabricated threat of FTC violations, they coerced users into paying significant amounts to “resolve the issues,” primarily through Bitcoin transactions at local ATMs.
Scale of the Scam
Police confirmed that the fraudsters targeted over 150 individuals in the US and UK, with each victim losing approximately $10,000, amounting to crores of rupees. The 21 arrested technical staff members were reportedly aware of the scam and earned monthly salaries ranging between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000. Three senior kingpins, who orchestrated the operation, remain at large and are actively being pursued.
Legal Proceedings and Investigation Status
All 21 arrested employees were presented before a local court and remanded to police custody. Investigators are now in the process of tracing bank details and Bitcoin transactions of the victims to recover the defrauded funds. Authorities continue to examine all aspects of the scam to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Bengaluru Police Urge Vigilance
Senior IPS officials have warned citizens to exercise caution when receiving unsolicited messages or calls claiming to be from tech support. They reiterated that legitimate organisations, such as Microsoft, never demand payments for security fixes or cite fake regulatory violations.
